Pile fabric



Patented Oct. 20, 1936 PATENT OFFICE' rim FABRIC Glen S. fliers, Cynwyd,

Pa., assignor to Collins 8:

Aikman Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application July 31, 1933 Serial No. 683,103

2 Claims.

My invention is an improved textile formed from a loosely woven fabric in which the yarns and fibres are prevented from shedding or moving relatively to one another by partial impregna- 5 tion of the fabric ground with an adherent material which firmly anchors the threads and fibres without detractingfrom the flexibility, feel or appearance of the fabric, and avoids the necessity for the use of a vulcanizer, vulcanizing heat or solidification of the adherent material into a stiff or brittle substance. My invention relates particularly to the manufacture of loosely woven pile fabrics, and especially those having an animal fibre V-pile anchoredto the ground or backing by rubber deposited and coagulated in situ from an aqueous dispersion, eithernatural or artificial, partly permeating the backing. By my invention satisfactory anchorage of the pile may be effected without vulcanization and with the production of a fabric having a back substantially free from tackiness or objectionable adhesion and which retains substantially unimpaired the flexibility and feel of an untreated plush. 25 These desiderata are effected by so spreading the adherent material upon, and partly absorbing it into, the backing as to prevent the formation of a continuous or plane film of the anchoring material which is broken up into minute areas by the pile bights projecting from the back. This minute subdivision of the otherwise somewhat tacky anchoring substance, and the protective projections formed by the protruding ends or points of the pile bights result in a back which is substantially tack-free and non-adherent in use. To neutralize the tendency of the fabric-finishing process to increase the tackiness of the unvulcanized rubber during such process, there is preferably incorporated in the anchoring material a 40 waxy anti-tack which forms a bloom upon the surface of the rubber upon solidification thereof. The amount and effect of this anti-tack surface bloom is augmented by the process to which the fabric is subjected after the application of the anchoring material thereto.

In the preferred practice of my invention, a V- plle fabric is loosely woven on the double plush principle from predyed ground yarns and undyed animal fibre pile yarns, such as mohair. The bights of the pile loops and the interlacing of the ground yarns form a back for each fabric having a relatively rough, dimpled or papuliferous sur-- face with the points or ends of the pile bights preferably protruding slightly beyond the ground yarns.

The tendency of the tufts of loose pile ,in such fabric to shed from or move relatively to the ground yarns, and of the ground yarns to become displaced, is overcome by the application to the back of the fabric of an aqueous compound con-- 5 taining rubber, which is solidifiable by heat, and a waxy substance which is liquefiable by heat to form a bloom" upon the surface of the coagulated and solidified compound, which is free from sulphur. The compound used has such viscosity relative to the porosity of the fabric backing as to cause the partial permeation of the compound into the backing'without penetration through to the face thereof. The compound is spread so thin that the portions thereof exposed on the 15 back of the fabric are broken by the roughness thereof into minute areas, and the projecting bights from the pile tufts interrupt the continuity of the anchoring material, which would otherwise tend to form an adherent tacky plane film. By the thin spreading and absorption of the material, the formation of a continuous plane film is prevented and the treated back is substantially nonadherent in use due to the blooming of the waxy material to the surface as a result of its incompatibility with the rubber. The treated fabric is then subjected to a moderate heat, preferably below that used for normal vulcanization of rubber, and the rubber is thereby coagulated in situ on the back of the fabric and the blooming of the waxy constituent is augmented by the capillary action of the pile bight structure tending to bring the waxy constituent through the interstices between the rubber particles. The fabric may then be scoured in a hot detergent bath and dyed in a hot acid dye bathwith continued exudation or blooming of the waxy anti-tack, so that the fabric may be scoured, dyed, extracted, tigered and finished without shedding of the pile and without any adhesion of the fabric laminations together or to other objects.

The material, which I have found particularly advantageous for use in securing pile tufts without vulcanization, consists oflalex having mixed therewith a wax emulsion and suitable antioxidants. A desired degree of viscosity of the mixture may be obtained by the incorporation therewith of a small amount of locust kernel gum solution. I

In preparing the mixture, suitable wax, waxlike-or resinous substances, with melting points ranging roughly from 50 C. to 100 6., such as candelilla, montan or montana, carnauba, paraflin, chlorinated parafnne, crcsine, beeswax,

- glyceryl stearate, cumar, stearic acid, ozokerite,

China wax, halowsx, or spermaceti, may be liquifiedby heat and mixed with an acidic,

oleaginous, resinous, or waxy material, such as stearic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, abietic acid or the like. This mixture is then emulsified with hot water containing an amino or alkaline materi'al, such as tri-ethanolamine or caustic soda.

Suitable anti-oxidantsmay be mixed with the emulsion, or with any of the ingredients thereof, and an intimate admixture of the ingredients and uniform emulsification may be secured by running the emulsion through a colloid mill and thence to a'cooling tank containing an agitator. Upon cooling, the emulsion forms a suspension having a paste-like consistency and may be added to latex or artificial aqueous rubber dispersions fabric, there results a pile fabric having a firmly Y anchored erect pile forming a face having good coverage and a nodulated back closely simulating untreated fabric which is sufiieiently free from 30 tack, when coagulated without vulcanization, to be commercial for immediate use or for dyeing and finishing. The hotwet or dry process involved in (Lvelng and finishing augment the liq- Patent No. 2,057,831.

' uefication and blooming of the' wax,and hence oflset any increase in the tackiness of the rubber resulting from 'such operations.

Having described my invention I claim- 1. A flexible material comprising a pile fabric 5 having a pile face, a ground and a roughened back formed by the bights of said pile, a layer of adherent material between the tips of the bights and the ends of said pile securing said pile to said ground, said layer comprising un- 10 vulcanized rubber having a bloom of wax associated therewith, said bloom of wax being substantially on the surface of the layer to reduce tackiness, whereby tackiness and cementing properties of theinterior of the layer remain 15 substantially unimpaired and the adherent material penetrates the pile and the fabric retains its textile feel. I

2. A pile fabric comprising a ground and slippery animal fibre pile tufts, said tufts having projecting bights forming a roughened surface, a layer of adherent material between the tips of the bights and the ends of the said pile securing said pile tosaid ground, said layer comprising unvulcanized rubber having a bloom of 5 wax associated therewith, said bloom of wax being substantially on the surface of the layer to reduce tackiness, whereby the tackiness and cementing properties of the interior of the layer remain substantially unimpaired and the adherent material penetrates the pile tufts and the fabric retains its textile feel.

' GLEN S. HIERS.

v October 2c, 1936.

GLEN s. HIERS.

It is hereby certified that errorappe'ai's in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: I I column, line 54, for 1" cresine" read ceresine; and that the said Letters Pat-' ent should be read with this correction thereinthe record of the case in the Patent Office.

Page 1, second Signed and sealed this 12th day of January, A 1937.

'(Sea1) v V HenryVanArBdaIe 'Acting viicmmissioner of Patents;

that the same may conform to China wax, halowsx, or spermaceti, may be liquifiedby heat and mixed with an acidic,

oleaginous, resinous, or waxy material, such as stearic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, abietic acid or the like. This mixture is then emulsified with hot water containing an amino or alkaline materi'al, such as tri-ethanolamine or caustic soda.

Suitable anti-oxidantsmay be mixed with the emulsion, or with any of the ingredients thereof, and an intimate admixture of the ingredients and uniform emulsification may be secured by running the emulsion through a colloid mill and thence to a'cooling tank containing an agitator. Upon cooling, the emulsion forms a suspension having a paste-like consistency and may be added to latex or artificial aqueous rubber dispersions fabric, there results a pile fabric having a firmly Y anchored erect pile forming a face having good coverage and a nodulated back closely simulating untreated fabric which is sufiieiently free from 30 tack, when coagulated without vulcanization, to be commercial for immediate use or for dyeing and finishing. The hotwet or dry process involved in (Lvelng and finishing augment the liq- Patent No. 2,057,831.

' uefication and blooming of the' wax,and hence oflset any increase in the tackiness of the rubber resulting from 'such operations.

Having described my invention I claim- 1. A flexible material comprising a pile fabric 5 having a pile face, a ground and a roughened back formed by the bights of said pile, a layer of adherent material between the tips of the bights and the ends of said pile securing said pile to said ground, said layer comprising un- 10 vulcanized rubber having a bloom of wax associated therewith, said bloom of wax being substantially on the surface of the layer to reduce tackiness, whereby tackiness and cementing properties of theinterior of the layer remain 15 substantially unimpaired and the adherent material penetrates the pile and the fabric retains its textile feel. I

2. A pile fabric comprising a ground and slippery animal fibre pile tufts, said tufts having projecting bights forming a roughened surface, a layer of adherent material between the tips of the bights and the ends of the said pile securing said pile tosaid ground, said layer comprising unvulcanized rubber having a bloom of 5 wax associated therewith, said bloom of wax being substantially on the surface of the layer to reduce tackiness, whereby the tackiness and cementing properties of the interior of the layer remain substantially unimpaired and the adherent material penetrates the pile tufts and the fabric retains its textile feel.

' GLEN S. HIERS.

v October 2c, 1936.

GLEN s. HIERS.

It is hereby certified that errorappe'ai's in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: I I column, line 54, for 1" cresine" read ceresine; and that the said Letters Pat-' ent should be read with this correction thereinthe record of the case in the Patent Office.

Page 1, second Signed and sealed this 12th day of January, A 1937.

'(Sea1) v V HenryVanArBdaIe 'Acting viicmmissioner of Patents;

that the same may conform to 

